Bragg coherent diffraction imaging of single 20†nm Pt particles at the ID01-EBS beamline of ESRF.

Electronic or catalytic properties can be modified at the nanoscale level. Engineering efficient and specific nanomaterials requires the ability to study their complex structure-property relationships. Here, Bragg coherent diffraction imaging was used to measure the three-dimensional shape and strain of platinum nanoparticles with a diameter smaller than 30 nm, i.e. significantly smaller than any previous study. This was made possible by the realization of the Extremely Brilliant Source of ESRF, The European Synchrotron. This work demonstrates the feasibility of imaging the complex structure of very small particles in three dimensions and paves the way towards the observation of realistic catalytic particles.

JET diagnostic enhancements in preparation for DT operations.

In order to complete the exploitation of the JET ITER-like Wall and to take full benefit from deuterium-tritium experiments on JET, a set of diagnostic system refurbishments or upgrades is in progress. These diagnostic enhancements focus mainly on neutron, gamma, fast ions, instabilities, and operations support. These efforts intend to provide better spatial, temporal, and energy resolution while increasing measurement coverage. Also previously non-existing capabilities, such as Doppler reflectometry is now available for scientific exploitation. Guaranteeing diagnostic reliability and consistency during the expected DT conditions is also a critical objective of the work and systems being implemented. An overview of status and scope of the ongoing projects is presented.

Crystallization kinetics of the phase change material GeSb6Te measured with dynamic transmission electron microscopy.

GeSb6Te is a chalcogenide-based phase change material that has shown great ptoential for use in solid-state memory devices. The crystallization kinetics of amorphous thin films of GeSb6Te during laser crystallization were followed with dynamic transmission electron microscopy, a photo-emission electron microscopy technique with nanosecond-scale time resolution. Nine-frame movies of crystal growth were taken during laser crystallization. The nucleation rate is observed to be very low and the growth rates are very high, up to 10.8 m s(-1) for amorphous as-deposited films and significantly higher for an amorphous film subject to sub-threshold laser annealing before crystallization. The measured growth rates exceed any directly measured growth rate of a phase change material. The crystallization is reminiscent of explosive crystallization of elemental semiconductors both in the magnitude of the growth rate and in the resulting crystalline microstructures.

Claudins 1, 3M, 3S, 4, 5 and 7 in vulvar neoplasms compared with vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of claudins 1, 3M (membrane-bound), 3S (cytoplasmic), 4, 5 and 7 in vulvar epithelial neoplasia (VIN I-III) and to compare those with invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma. Paraffin tissue sections from 73 vulvar neoplasms (12 VIN I, 12 VIN II-III and 49 vulvar carcinomas) were studied by immunohistochemistry for the expression of claudins 1, 3M, 3S, 4, 5 and 7. Claudin 1 stained strongly in all groups, whereas claudin 3M, 3S and 4 immunostaining were moderate in all groups. Claudin 7 stained strongly in all groups. Claudin 3M expression was higher in VIN I compared to carcinoma, while no difference was found between VIN I and VIN II-III or between VIN II-III and carcinoma. Claudin 1 and claudin 3S expressions also showed the same decreasing tendency from VIN towards vulvar carcinoma. Claudin 5 showed only weak staining in VIN I and VIN II-III, and positive expression was also low in the carcinoma group. Expressions of claudins 1, 3M, 3S, 4 and 7 were found in VIN and vulvar carcinoma. Changes in claudin 1 and claudin 3 expression during progression from VIN to vulvar carcinoma suggests a connection with claudin expression and differentiation of vulvar squamous cells. Claudin 5 does not seem to be important in VIN or vulvar carcinoma.

Claudin-5 overexpression correlates with aggressive behavior in serous ovarian adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Claudins are essential tight junctional proteins between adjacent epithelial, mesothelial or endothelial cells, and are responsible for the permeability of the paracellular space. The expression of claudin-5 and its correlation to ovarian cancer behavior was investigasted. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 85 serous ovarian cancer tissue samples were analyzed using immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: An association between claudin-5 expression and cancer grade (p=0.016) and advanced stage (p=0.022), strongest claudin-5 expression was found in advanced stage and high-grade carcinomas. An association between claudin-5 expression and cancer-specific (p=0.032) and overall survival (p=0.026) was also found. Only 25-30% of claudin-5-positive patients, but 60% of claudin-5-negative patiens were alive at the 5-years follow-up. CONCLUSION: Increased claudin-5 expression is associated with aggressive behavior in serous ovarian adenocarcinoma.

MMP-2 expression associates with CA 125 and clinical course in endometrial carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Matrix metalloproteinases have long been associated with aggressive behavior of several malignancies, but their role in endometrial cancer has not been conclusively established. This study aimed to evaluate the roles of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and -9 (MMP-9) as prognostic factors in endometrial carcinoma and their association with CA 125 and other conventional prognostic markers. METHODS: The MMP-2 and MMP-9 immunoreactive proteins were evaluated from primary tumors of endometrial carcinoma in 266 specimens by using a specific monoclonal antibody in immunohistochemical stainings. The median follow-up time was 79 months. RESULTS: Expression of the MMP-2 and MMP-9 proteins was found in 88% and 70% of the primary tumors, respectively. Positive MMP-2 immunostaining was associated with a shortened recurrence-free (P=0.04) and cancer-specific survival (P=0.05). MMP-2 negativity was linked with a favorable prognosis; only one patient developed recurrent disease and died during the follow-up. Preoperative serum levels of CA 125 were higher in the patients presenting with tumors positive for MMP-2 than in those with negative immunostaining (P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that MMP-2 is linked with biologically aggressive nature of this cancer type. It seems that MMP-2, but not MMP-9, has some prognostic value in endometrial carcinoma. However, the conventional prognostic markers are superior to MMP-2 in assessing aggressive behavior and cancer-specific survival in endometrial cancer.

Matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 and their tissue inhibitors in low malignant potential ovarian tumors.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze the expression of matrix metalloproteinases 2 (MMP-2) and 9 (MMP-9) and their tissue inhibitors TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 in low malignant potential (LMP) ovarian tumors and to compare these values with those recorded for benign and malignant ovarian neoplasms. METHODS: A total of 53 ovarian tumors (16 benign, 15 LMP and 22 malignant) were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2. RESULTS: MMP-2 expression was found in 56% of the benign, 40% of the LMP, and 90% of the malignant ovarian tumors (benign vs. malignant, p = 0.021; LMP vs. malignant, p = 0.002). The expression of MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 was lower in the benign and LMP tumors compared with the malignant ones. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that, in relation to the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2, LMP ovarian tumors are more similar to benign than to malignant ovarian tumors.

Influence of the laser prepulse on proton acceleration in thin-foil experiments.

We investigate the influence of the laser prepulse due to amplified spontaneous emission on the acceleration of protons in thin-foil experiments. We show that changing the prepulse duration has a profound effect on the maximum proton energy. We find an optimal value for the target thickness, which strongly depends on the prepulse duration. At this optimal thickness, the rear side acceleration process leads to the highest proton energies, while this mechanism is rendered ineffective for thinner targets due to a prepulse-induced plasma formation at the rear side. In this case, the protons are primarily accelerated by the front side mechanism leading to lower cutoff energies.

Demonstration of fusion-evaporation and direct-interaction nuclear reactions using high-intensity laser-plasma-accelerated ion beams.

Heavy-ion induced nuclear reactions in materials exposed to energetic ions produced from high-intensity (approximately 5 x 10(19) W/cm(2)) laser-solid interactions have been experimentally investigated for the first time. Many of the radionuclides produced result from the creation of "compound nuclei" with the subsequent evaporation of proton, neutron, and alpha particles. Results are compared with previous measurements with monochromatic ion beams from a conventional accelerator. Measured nuclide yields are used to diagnose the acceleration of ions from laser-ablated plasma to energies greater than 100 MeV.

Ultrasonographic features following thermal balloon endometrial ablation therapy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the ultrasonographic changes taking place in the uterus after thermal balloon endometrial ablation therapy. The ultrasonographic findings in the uterus after thermal balloon endometrial ablation in 13 patients were compared to those found in 13 patients treated with gestagen therapy. Examinations took place before initiation of the treatment, on the 1st postoperative day (thermal balloon ablation group only), and 1 and 6 months later. One month after thermal balloon endometrial ablation therapy, the ultrasonographic examination revealed a clear-limited hyperechogenic zone surrounding the uterine cavity which was filled with fluid in 6 out of 10 patients. The ultrasonographic findings may represent a burn-injury-induced obstruction in the cervical canal with subsequent collection of fluid in the uterine cavity and a zone of coagulation in the submucosal layers. At the final examination in the thermal balloon group, the mean endometrial thickness was lower than the pretreatment level. No changes were observed in the gestagen therapy group.

Measurements of the inverse Faraday effect from relativistic laser interactions with an underdense plasma.

Magnetic fields in excess of 7 MG have been measured with high spatial and temporal precision during interactions of a circularly polarized laser pulse with an underdense helium plasma at intensities up to 1x10(19) W cm(-2). The fields, while of the form expected from the inverse Faraday effect for a cold plasma, are much larger than expected, and have a duration approaching that of the high intensity laser pulse ( <3 psec). These observations can be explained by particle-in-cell simulations in 3D. The simulations show that the magnetic field is generated by fast electrons which spiral around the axis of the channel created by the laser field.

Hyperprolactinemia complicating juvenile granulosa cell tumor of the ovary.

BACKGROUND: Granulosa cell tumors are known to be hormonally active. They usually produce estrogen and inhibin, and the serum inhibin level is often considered a useful tumor marker during the follow-up of this illness. CASE: We present a case of malignant juvenile granulosa cell tumor associated with hyperprolactinemia. In our patient, the serum prolactin concentration closely reflected the behavior of the disease. CONCLUSION: Our findings are consistent with the assumption that prolactin was a tumor marker in this patient.

Carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) in predicting prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic value of serum carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) in ovarian cancer. Serum CA125 was used as a reference marker. METHODS: Forty-five patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were monitored with serial measurements of serum concentrations of ICTP, a degradation product of type I collagen likely to come about via the matrix metalloproteinase pathway. RESULTS: The patients with a good prognosis had significantly lower serum ICTP concentrations than the patients with a poor prognosis both before the operation and at all the postoperative time points studied (3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months), whereas a corresponding difference in CA125 was first seen after a 12-month follow-up. In multivariate regression analysis, the 9-month serum ICTP concentration remained the only independent prognostic indicator of all biochemical, clinical, and histological variables. The postoperative serum ICTP concentration did not correlate with the clinical stage, the grade of differentiation, or the presence of residual tumor. In contrast to ICTP, postoperative serum CA125 correlated with the clinical stage and the presence of residual tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Because our ICTP test does not detect defectively cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptides of type I collagen, which is the predominant form in malignant ovarian tissue, the excess ICTP of ovarian cancer patients must originate from the tissue around the tumor, where the malignancy is causing tissue damage. As an indicator of invasion, the serum ICTP test opens up new possibilities to assess the clinical behavior of ovarian cancer and, in the future, also the effect of possible antiproteinase treatment in ovarian cancer.

Thermal balloon endometrial ablation therapy induces a rise in uterine blood flow impedance: a randomized prospective color Doppler study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the possible hemodynamic changes in uterine blood flow using transvaginal color Doppler ultrasonography after thermal balloon endometrial ablation therapy. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-seven pre- and post-menopausal women with either menorrhagia or endometrial hyperplasia (no sign of atypia) were randomized to receive either thermal balloon ablation therapy (n = 13) or gestagen therapy (n = 14). In the gestagen therapy group, a 3-month period of medroxy-progesterone acetate (10 mg/day) was given to premenopausal women during cycle days 15-24 and it was given to postmenopausal women continuously. Thermal balloon endometrial ablation therapy was carried out on cycle days 3-8. All the color Doppler measurements were also carried out on cycle days 3-8. Flow waveforms were obtained from the main branch of the uterine arteries, from arcuate arteries and from a subendometrial spiral artery. Doppler flow parameters were used for subsequent statistical analysis. The measurements took place before the initiation of treatment, on the first postoperative day (thermal ablation group only), and 1 month and 6 months after initiation of the study. RESULTS: No within-group or between-group differences were detected until the time of the last measurement 6 months after initiation of the treatment. Between the two randomized groups, the pulsatility index (PI) was significantly higher in the thermal ablation group in all three arteries in comparison with the gestagen group, in which no change in the PI took place. In the thermal ablation group, a significant rise from the pretreatment level was observed in the PI in the uterine arteries and in the spiral artery 6 months after the therapy. CONCLUSION: Thermal balloon endometrial ablation therapy induces a rise in uterine blood flow impedance, but not until 6 months after the treatment. The rise in impedance may be due to fibrosis in the uterine cavity which thermal balloon therapy has been shown to produce.

Observation of a hot high-current electron beam from a self-modulated laser wakefield accelerator.

A highly relativistic electron beam produced by a 50 TW laser-plasma accelerator has been characterized by photonuclear techniques. The beam has large divergence that increases with plasma density. The electron yield also increases with plasma density and reaches up to 4x10(11) electrons ( >10 MeV), with beam current approaching the Alfvén limit. Effective electron temperatures exceeding 8 MeV are found, leading to an order of magnitude higher photonuclear activation yield than in solid target experiments with the same laser system.

Serial determinations of aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) and prognosis in ovarian cancer; comparison to CA125.

During malignant growth many changes take place in the metabolism of fibrillar type III collagens in the connective tissues. The aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) has been found to be often elevated in ovarian cancer. In the present study the prognostic value of serum PIIINP concentration in epithelial ovarian cancer is evaluated in relation to serum CA125. Fifty-six women were enrolled in the study. Serial venous blood samples were taken preoperatively and 6, 9 and 12 months after operation for PIIINP and CA125 determinations. The results were correlated to the three-year survival. In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis the preoperative (P = 0.0422), 9-month (P = 0.0062) and 12-month (P = 0.0062) serum PIIINP concentration distinguished between the patients with good and poor prognosis while CA125 did so only at 9- (P = 0.0005) and 12-month (P < 0.0001) follow-up. In the multivariate analysis the independent predictors of prognosis were the preoperative PIIINP and 12-month CA125 concentrations. The percentage changes in serum PIIINP concentration did not differentiate the patients with good or poor prognosis at any time point, whereas the changes in CA125 concentration significantly divided the patients into two prognostic groups during the second half of the postoperative year. We found that PIIINP and CA125 are complementary to each other as predictors of prognosis in epithelial ovarian cancer as preoperative PIIINP was better than CA125 and 1-year CA125 better than PIIINP in this function.

The prognostic value of peritoneal cytology in ovarian cancer.

We studied the significance of peritoneal cytology as a prognostic factor in primary epithelial ovarian cancer. Intraperitoneal specimens for cytological examination were taken from 73 patients at primary operation for ovarian cancer. The prognostic value of cytological findings was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. It was also correlated to clinical stage, tumor histology, histopathological grade, residual tumor, presence of ascites and age by using the chi2-test. The value of cytology in relation to other factors was assessed by Cox-multivariate analysis. In univariate analysis peritoneal cytological findings correlated significantly to survival. In Cox-multivariate analysis peritoneal cytology, histopathological grade and the age of the patient were found to be significant independent prognostic factors in epithelial ovarian cancer. According to this data peritoneal cytology can be considered as an important prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. Therefore it should be evaluated routinely in association with surgery of ovarian tumors.

Transfundal insertion of a Veress needle in laparoscopy of obese subjects: a practical alternative.

Because induction of artificial pneumoperitoneum through the infra-umbilical route is associated with complications in laparoscopic procedures, especially in obese patients, we performed a prospective randomized study comparing the conventional infra-umbilical route with a transfundal route, in which the Veress needle is inserted into the peritoneal cavity through the uterine fundus. One hundred obese subjects (body mass index >/=25 kg/m(2)) scheduled for laparoscopic sterilization were randomized into two groups. In the infra-umbilical group pneumoperitoneum was achieved at a ratio (punctures/pneumoperitoneum) of 56/49 (1.14). There was one failure in this group. In the transfundal group the ratio was 53/51 (1.04). There was no clinically significant bleeding in either of the groups; nor were there any major complications. One subject in whom the infra-umbilical route failed was moved to the transfundal group. This subject also underwent dilatation and curettage at the time of laparoscopy. Postoperatively she contracted chlamydial pelvic inflammatory disease. No other infections were detected postoperatively in either of the groups. In conclusion, the transfundal route of inducing artificial pneumoperitoneum proved to be easy, safe and effective.

Type I and III collagen metabolites as predictors of clinical outcome in epithelial ovarian cancer.

We evaluated the significance of biochemical tumor markers, ie, aminoterminal propeptide of type III procoliagen, trivalently cross-linked COOH-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP), aminoterminal propeptide of type I procollagen, and CA 125 in the prediction of ovarian cancer outcome and compared them with several classical indicators of prognosis. The concentrations of biochemical markers were determined from the preoperative serum specimens of 55 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. In the univariate analysis, all biochemical markers except PINP and all conventional prognostic indicators except histological subtype correlated significantly with survival. In the multivariate Cox analysis of biochemical markers, serum ICTP remained the only significant prognostic indicator of overall survival. Among all variables, clinical stage and ICTP were the only independent and significant determinants of prognosis. Because the content of trivalently cross-linked, mature type I collagen (the breakdown of which is detectable in the ICTP test) in malignant ovarian cancer tissue has been reported to be lower and that of bivalently cross-linked and non-cross-linked collagen has been reported to be higher than in benign tumors, the source of excess ICTP in the circulation of ovarian cancer patients is most likely the degradative damage of soft tissues surrounding the progressively growing malignant lesions. The serum ICTP concentration can thus be regarded as an indicator of the invasion of ovarian cancer. Such information is not available by conventional methods. Therefore, the ICTP test will improve the accuracy of predicting clinical outcome in this disease.